The F-35, branded as a fifth-generation, stealth, multi-role fighter jet and produced by Lockheed Martin, has faced renewed scrutiny following its latest crash near Naval Air Station Lemoore in California. On July 30, 2025, a US Navy F-35 went down, marking the second F-35 crash of the year.

Fortunately, the pilot ejected safely, and there were no reported injuries. This accident underscores long-standing safety and operational reliability concerns surrounding the F-35 program, which has emerged as one of the costliest defence projects in history.

Since 2018, there have been a total of 13 significant F-35 crashes globally, with 11 of those occurring in just the past seven years. Each F-35 aircraft is valued at around $100–$109 million.

The development of the jet began in 1995 under the Joint Strike Fighter program, with full-rate production commencing 26 years later. Notably, the program encountered its first crash three years before full-rate production was officially underway.

A close look at the timeline of major F-35 accidents reveals widespread geographic and operational spread:

In January 2025, an F-35 crashed in Alaska—the 11th such incident since 2018.
In May 2024, another crash occurred near Albuquerque, New Mexico, with the pilot suffering serious injuries after ejecting.
A 2023 crash in South Carolina saw the jet switch to autopilot before the pilot’s ejection.
In October 2022, a catastrophic landing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, destroyed the aircraft due to air data errors.
In January 2022, a South Korean F-35 crash-landing due to avionics malfunction led to the plane being written off.
Another incident the same month saw an F-35 tumble into the South China Sea from the USS Carl Vinson, attributed to pilot error and injuring multiple sailors.
In November 2021, a British F-35B fell into the Mediterranean Sea during take-off from HMS Queen Elizabeth, though the wreck was later recovered.
In May 2020, a US Air Force F-35 was destroyed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, during a crash-landing—a result of unchecked speed and flight control issues.
A 2019 Japanese F-35 went missing in the Pacific, resulting in the pilot’s death.
A crash in South Carolina in 2018 during training was traced to a manufacturing defect within the engine’s fuel tube.

Compounding the accident record are pervasive operational and maintenance challenges. According to the US Director of Operational Test and Evaluation’s January 2024 report, the F-35 fleet fulfilled its mission readiness requirement just 51% of the time, lagging behind the 65% benchmark.

These metrics underlined that the F-35 program’s “operational suitability ... remains below service expectations and requirements.” Additionally, reports from the US Government Accountability Office in April 2024 highlighted soaring sustainment costs—rising from $1.1 trillion in 2018 to $1.58 trillion by 2023.

This surge is partly driven by persistent reliability issues, forcing the US Department of Defence to scale back its flying hours for the F-35 fleet compared to original projections. The performance and mission capability of the fleet have also trended downward over the past five years.

Despite its advanced stealth, avionics, and combat systems, the F-35 remains under the microscope not only for its series of costly mishaps and technical challenges but also for the immense financial burden it has imposed on US and allied defence budgets.

As investigations continue into the latest crash, both safety and cost-effectiveness remain pressing concerns for stakeholders, prompting intensifying debate over whether the F-35 lives up to its ambitious reputation or represents an overhyped investment amidst mounting incidents and sparling expenses.

Agencies